926. This line means 'that ensureth no estate to be (always) good.' Suggested by Boethius; see bk. ii. pr. 2. ll. 37-41 (vol. ii. p. 27).
928. Clemence, Clemency, Pity. Suggested by 'il tempio ... di Clemenza,' Tes. ii. 17; which again is from 'mitis posuit Clementia sedem,' Theb. xii. 482.
932. Capaneus, one of the seven heroes who besieged Thebes: struck dead by lightning as he was scaling the walls of the city, because he had defied Zeus; Theb. x. 927. See note to l. 912, above.
937. The celebrated siege of 'The Seven against Thebes'; Capaneus being one of the seven kings.
941. for despyt, out of vexation; mod. E. 'for spite.'
942. To do the dede bodyes vileinye, to treat the dead bodies shamefully.
948. withouten more respyt, without longer delay.
949. They fillen gruf, they fell flat with the face to the ground. In M. E. we find the phrase to fall grovelinges or to fall groveling. See Gruflynge and Ogrufe in the Catholicon Anglicum, and the editor's notes, pp. 166, 259.
954. Himthoughte, it seemed to him; cf. methinks, it seems to me. In M. E. the verbs like, list, seem, rue (pity), are used impersonally, and take the dative case of the pronoun. Cf. the modern expression 'if you please' = if it be pleasing to you.
955. mat, dejected. 'Ententyfly, not feynt, wery ne mate.'—Hardyng, p. 129.—M.